


The Ghost of You

by AuthorForHire, XxWolfRocksxX



Category: Minecraft - Fandom, Yogscast
Genre: Betrayal, Bi-Curiosity, BoyxBoy, F/M, Fighting, Gay Male Character, Gender Confusion, Hurt/Comfort, Israphel - Freeform, M/M, Magic, Memory Loss, Minecraft, No one is having a good time, Original Character Death(s), Pansexual Character, Pansexual SetoSorcerer, Romance, Some onsided relationships, Supernatural - Freeform, Team Crafted - Freeform, Temporary Amnesia, background ships, ghost - Freeform, onesided - Freeform, yogscast - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 17:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11765130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorForHire/pseuds/AuthorForHire, https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxWolfRocksxX/pseuds/XxWolfRocksxX
Summary: "I'm Rythian. What's your name?""... S... Seto."Seto Harvey Sorcerer isn't sure where he's from. He doesn't remember anything. His memory only goes back to when he woke up in Rythian's bed, in his castle. He doesn't know why he's always so pale and cold, and he doesn't know why Rythian found him in the icy snow. But the technology and the variety of people in the world are unfamiliar with him, and he knows ancient spells that were lost with the books they had been in as they crumbled to dust from time.Rythian Ender Born is still getting over Zoey leaving him and taking Teep with her. Hell, he hasn't even started to get over her. He throws himself into his work, he doesn't sleep, hardly ever eats. Then he finds Seto, half covered by snow. Too much of an gentleman to ask, (and too socially awkward) not only does Rythian not know where the hell he came from, he also has no idea if Seto is a boy or a girl.When a pale faced evil rises in their world again, that's dangerously familiar to Seto, will these two be able to stay together or will Seto be left alone in the snow once more? Will Rythian lose someone close to him again? Only faith can tell, and it's never liked the two that much anyways.





	1. Prologue 1/2 - Cold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AuthorForHire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorForHire/gifts).



> Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this! For those of you who don't know SetoSorcerer, he's an old Youtuber that hasn't been around some time because of drama. But, my friend Author (Authorforhire) and I, and quite a few other of our friends, always wanted to imagine another world where he ended up joining the Yogscast. Now, that isn't what the story is about. This is actually about a favorite ship of mine and Author's; Rytho! Rythian X Seto. We think it's adorable, and we hope you guys do too! This takes place a few months after Zoey and Rythian split up when Rythian found that super computer. So, I hope you guys enjoy!!!
> 
> BTW, this is a collab, so Author and I will be taking turns with chapters, or writing them together!

_It was... Cold._  
  
That was all Seto had known for a long time. Cold. Ice. Snow. Wind. He had lost feeling in his fingers long ago, and he was sure if he got out of this he'd lose a few of them. He trudged through the snow, his head bent against the flakes of the icy material that were still pouring down. It was the longest, hardest snowstorm this world had ever seen, and he was caught right in the middle of it. Maybe he shouldn't have ran. Maybe he should have just locked himself in some room and waited for him to calm down. Looking back at what had happened, Seto could only beat himself up for how poorly he had reacted. Running away from the problem, instead of standing his ground or at least waiting for it to smooth over. Running away from it, right into a snowstorm. He supposed to deserved this, for his foolishness. Perhaps the gods he worshiped were trying to teach him a lesson, and believed he'd learn from it if he lost a few fingers in the process. Perhaps they were right. But Seto knew one thing was for sure, he would not be going back to that base. _He_ had gotten too... Different. _He_ had gotten... Evil. For the longest time, he tried to pretend he didn't notice the changes in his aura, but now, after tonight, it was clear. He could no longer pretend that the man he had grown to love wasn't losing sight of their cause.  
  
The fight had been horrible. The look in his eyes when he had been shouting at him... Had they been red? He couldn't remember anymore... The only colors he knew know were bits of brown from the tree trunks and icy white as the snow chilled him down to his very bone. So cold... It was making him tired, and making it harder and harder to put one foot in front of the other. But he couldn't turn back. The only thing for him back there was that base, was _him_ , and he couldn't go back. Even if he wanted to turn back, he had no idea how to get back. He had gone through so many twists and turns that his mind was a numb mess from it all. All he could do was move forward, and hope that he'd find civilization and someone could help him. He could start over. He would stay to himself and lay low until he either stopped looking for him or he believed him to be dead. Maybe he could get his hair cut, or use some spell to change it. He always wondered how he would look with black hair...  
  
He didn't see the rock until it was too late.  
  
The tip of his foot caught itself on it as he went to take a step, and he fell onto the ground. The cold snow soaked into his bones, making him shudder. He slowly pushed himself onto his knees, hugging himself. Tears were running from his cheeks. Why? Why did this have to happen to him? He had lost so much in so little time... Friends, someone who could've been a lover, hell, he had even lost himself in this entire mess. He thought he was helping a hero. He thought he was giving this world the savior they desperately needed once more. He had no idea he was helping a mo...  
  
He trembled from his sobs and the cold as he pushed himself to his feet, hugging himself. He stumbled, nearly falling on his face again, but he reached out and grabbed the bare branch of a small tree next to him. He cried out as the thorns on the flimsy branch cut into him, and he pulled his hand back. He looked down at it to see red blood rising from the puncture wounds, and he felt little warmth as it slipped down his skin. He watched it drip onto the white snow under him, holding his wrist as the red stained the pearly white. He couldn't keep going like, especially since he was bleeding. The scent of his blood was going to attract animals, and he sure as hell couldn't defend himself in this position. He moved forward slowly, keeping his head down as tears continued to run from his eyes. He had to find some kind of shelter, to try and warm up, to try and rest...  
  
He walked for what felt like hours, but in reality, he could have only been minutes because he couldn't have lasted that long in his state. He rounded a corner, and saw it. A cave. It was small and dark, but he could sense nothing inside. It was empty, and would shelter him from the icy wind and the falling snow. It was better than standing out in the open. He ducked inside, almost falling to the ground as he found he could finally see his feet once more. He went to the back wall, sliding down it. He stared at the falling snow that wasn't going to clear up for hours. His bleeding hand was even more numb than the other, and his head ached from the cold. His eyes begged to be closed, and a few times he caught them trying to close. The snow would last for hours, and even if it were to end in a few minutes he wouldn't find the strength to get back up because he was just so tired. His bones were cold, and his body was tired. His vision was blurring, and he found that he could no longer remember what warmth felt like. He was so tired... It couldn't hurt to close his eyes, just for a little bit, right...?  
  
Even if he didn't want to, he couldn't fight the darkness coming towards him any longer. He moved down onto his side, facing away from the entrance of the cave. He didn't want to look at snow anymore. He used to love it, but now, he just despised it. The darkness came up to him and wrapped itself around his trembling body as his eyes closed, it's cold embrace turning him completely numb. The wind howled outside and a few snowflakes drifted inside the cave. Seto fell still as he allowed himself to finally fall asleep, the wind brushing over his cold body as it did.  
  
Outside, a young horse had moved away from it's herd. It poked around in the snow, trying to find some grass that it could nibble on. He stopped on a cliff that was above the cave Seto had settled in, finding some blades of grass that were sticking out from underneath the snow. The tree beside it had blocked the patch from most of the snowflakes coming down. As it nibbled on the grass, it's foot nudged against a rock. It moved underneath it's hoof, and it raised its head as it stared at it. The young foal tilted it's head, before nudging the rock with it's head. At that moment, the lead stallion of the herd trotted up beside it, snorting at it before he nudged the foal back towards the waiting group. The foal neighed in disagreement but went anyway, going back to it's mother side. As the lead stallion walked back, it's right hoof hit the rock the foal had been playing with. It moved completely from the ground and tethered dangerously on the edge of the cliff, before it fell over. As it went, it hit the side of the cliff multiple times, uprooting other rocks. Soon, it was an entire avalanche, and it landed right on the cave, the rocks scattering to the sides and to the front. Darkness filled the cave and Seto was trapped, but it didn't matter. As the herd moved off, startled by the sounds the rocks made as they fell, Seto stopped moving completely in the cave. His chest lifted up, shook, and then fell back down. It didn't move again. His mouth stopped taking in the air in the cave. Seto was trapped in the cave and no one knew where to find him, but it didn't matter.  
  
Seto was dead.


	2. Prologue 2/2 - Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rythian has been alone for a while now, but his dreams still haunt him with what used to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I am SO sorry this took so long! I'm afraid I have some bad news- my friend, Author, who was going to co-write this with me, decided that she didn't want to anymore. That's completely fine! It just threw me off balance and I was having some school/relationship/home trouble and I didn't really have time to sit down and relax and put myself in the mood to write. But, the good news is, Author and I had roleplayed a LOT for this story before she decided that she didn't want to continue writing. I just had to sit down and finally write Rythian's part of the prologue before I could use that. 
> 
> The good news is that because you're reading this, I finally sat down and did it! I'm afraid this isn't nearly as long as I'd like it to be, mainly because when it comes to Rythian and Zoey and what happened between them I don't know a lot about them because I'm still trying to watch that entire series. Luckily, I have a few friends (including Author) that can help me with that! I hope I don't disappoint you guys in this chapter though XD But please, enough of my rambling- let's sit back and enjoy!

Rythian could see her, a few feet away from him. He smiled, closing the door behind him. He opened her mouth to say her name, before he saw what she was doing. His eyes widened in horror as he saw she was stuffing things into a bag, things such as her mushrooms, some weapons, some food, building blocks, some rings he had made her, some backup armor- everything one would need for a long trip in a land like this. "... What are you doing?" He asked, but she didn't seem to hear him as she zipped up the bag, letting it hang from her shoulder before she turned to the door. She didn't bat an eye at the sight of Rythian, her friend and her mentor. In fact, she walked right through as if he wasn't even there. Literally. His eyes widened, looking down at himself, before he looked after the female with horror. "Wait!" He cried, throwing open the door again as he raced into the hallway. He saw her by the front door, and as he ran towards her she opened it and stepped outside. He caught the door before it could close, racing outside.

The night sky was blocked by some heavy clouds that carried rain. It was the perfect night to leave, after all. Rain meant that he couldn't run after her and that completely broke her inside, because of course, out of anyone she would know that about him. "Zoey!" He cried when he saw her walking away from the house, and he froze as he saw a certain dinosaur following. Not Teep too...! What were they doing?! Why was she leaving?! He cried out, the sound muffled slightly by the sharp wind and the mask over his mouth. "Zoey, please! I'm sorry!" He stepped after her, and then it felt like he had hit a brick wall. Now, he couldn't get go after her. God, this wasn't happening!

"Zoey, _PLEASE!_ Let's talk about this!" He cried, but she didn't falter in her steps, she didn't turn around or stop. She didn't even glance over her shoulder. She couldn't hear him, because this wasn't real, because this was just a dream.

When Zoey had actually left, he had been fast asleep. He didn't get to see her leave. He didn't get to try and stop her. He didn't get to explain. And he didn't get to even say goodbye.

**_~~~~~~~~~_ **

He woke up gasping, with tears burning in his eyes and on his cheeks. He couldn't tell if it was the pain of the tears or his own pure desperation to make it stop that made him wake up. He grabbed his face, shaking his head roughly before he rolled out of the bed. He landed on the floor, tucking his head in between his legs as he took deep, trembling breaths. He was shirtless and the night was cold, especially with the snowstorm outside, but he didn't care.

He had been cold ever since the day she had left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, this was hardly even a chapter, this was basically a drabble XD I'm so sorry guys, but I promise you- some nice long chapters are gonna be happening now very soon.


	3. Snowy Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto and Rythian's paths cross, and there are a lot of things about Rythian's new guest that raises suspicions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, this is one of the many bits that I roleplayed with AuthorForHire. You should really check her out, she's an awesome writer that's come a long way since we've both met. Quite a few of these chapters are going to be ones that we've roleplayed together, so there might be some spelling mistakes, somethings might be a little bit choppy, the usual. I'm going to try my best to tidy it up, read through it, be my own beta-reader, but I can't promise perfection XD I hope you guys enjoy nonetheless though!

Seto was cold. He was shivering in the snow that was falling fast and hard. His skin was pale, and his eyes were dim. The mobs left him alone, like they always did. How long had he been wondering this forest? Days? Months? Years? Perhaps he was being dramatic, and it had only hours or minutes; perhaps even seconds. But that couldn't be right. His fingers were stiff and numb, his skin pale like he had been out here for days. He couldn't feel his face. As he walked, he noticed that the surroundings around him were always the same but different in some crazy way. Some trees seemed taller than they were when he first passed by them. Sometimes he had to go over a log that hadn't been there before. A river that had once been there was empty, as if it had dried up. It was like he was going in circles, but every new trip around it things were changed.

He didn't understand what was happening, but his mind was too numb for him to try and figure it out. So he just trudged on through the snow, hugging himself, tears sometimes slipping down his cold cheeks. He was scared. Cold. Alone. He felt like he had been alone for centuries. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

While trying to climb over a tree that was laying across his path, (it had not been there the hundred times he had passed through this area) he fell. He hit the ground, snow flying up. He was shaking, tears dripping from his eyes as darkness moved forward to take him into their cold, lonely grasp. The feeling felt familiar as his eyes fell closed, and his body went limp as he fell into the exhaustion that had been in his cold bones since the first time he set out.

 

Rythian wasn't a fan of coming out in the cold, dark middle of nowhere. He never was. The coldness of the snow reminded him of the coldness of the end he had left and escaped from, the darkness of the treetops strangely similar to the starless sky of the end cities. But he needed to find food that wasn't rotten by now. All the groceries he had gotten earlier were moldy from neglect, and the farm was destroyed and overgrown. He didn't care about that though. Why should he? It was only a distraction. Everything was just a _distraction._

He almost missed the body on the ground.

A stray arrow missed the cow he was hunting, startling it and causing it to run away from its herd. It's hooves ran past a lump in the snow, and Rythian blinked as his eyes came upon it. When he came closer, he saw it was a... Human. They had been there awhile. Snow had fallen onto them and were covering quite a bit of their clothes and their body. Snowflakes were in their hair and long eyelashes and their eyes closed. They looked like a male... Was he even breathing? He knelt down slowly, putting his bow down beside him before he reached down and placed two of his fingers against their neck. After a few moments, he felt a weak, slow pulse. He brushed some of the snow off of their head, but a few stubborn snowflakes clung to their brown curls that looked like they hadn't been cared for in quite some time. They were pale, and very, very thin... And they were shivering.

Rythian sighed. He couldn't have another distraction. Not now. But he couldn't just leave someone to die in the middle of the woods. What kind of monster would he be if he did that? He carefully dusted off the snow and picked him up gently. He definitely had hypothermia. He held him close to him, trying to keep him warm with his own body heat as he turned and walked briskly back towards his home. He'd use his magic, but it had long stopped working because of his depression. The male shuddered in his arms, letting out a soft sound of what sounded like a name; but Rythian couldn't make out what it was.

His castle came into view and he became aware of how dirty and gross it had gotten. Vines covered the walls and the walls had cracks all over it. Even the crest seemed to be falling off. He gritted his teeth angrily, so hard that they began to ache, but it didn't bother him. _Whatever... It didn't matter anymore._ He thought bitterly as he trudged through the snow with the male limp in his arms. On any other day, in any time, in any other world, Rythian would've taken him to the guest bedroom. But if he did that, he'd have to go pass _her_ old bedroom, which he had left untouched since the day she left. So instead, he headed to his own. It wasn't the warmest room, but he could make it so with a few adjustments.

He placed him on the bed, searching for something warm or dry to put him in. If he stayed in the frozen and wet clothes, he'd get sicker than he already was. He grabbed a random black tank-top he wore often and some cloth pants.

"This isn't going to be weird if you don't make it weird, Rythian." He sighed quietly to himself, as he pulled the soggy white cloak off of the man.

He stopped. The man's skin was as pale as snow, where he could clearly see his veins. There were bruises on his arms, from what looked like a tight grip, and cuts on his wrists that he must've made himself. Who was this man? Why was he all the way out here in the first place? When Rythian had built this place, he made sure it was away from any kind of civilization. Duncan wasn't too far away, whether for better or for worse, and Xephos and Honeydew were a little ways from the scientist himself, but neither of those places seemed to be where this man had come from. Honeydew and Xephos were good people and they wouldn't let someone leave their base in a state like this, and even though Rythian despised Duncan he knew he wouldn't either. He had to give his archenemy  _some_ credit, he supposed.

He sighed, then continued undressing the man. He didn't wake up during the entire time he did so. He was completely limp, which made it a bit hard but also easier. He got the sweatpants on him first, then the tank top. He went and got some blankets from a few nearby rooms, throwing them onto his still unconscious guest. His shivering died down a bit after Rythian had tucked them underneath him so no cold air came in and no warmth left, but he was still shaking. Rythian sighed. This was going to be a long night. He quickly rushed into the kitchen to search for ingredients. Soup and sandwiches, the two things everyone needed when sick. Or so he was taught.

That and medicine, but he didn't have any. He could make some, but for now, he'd just focus on trying to keep him alive until morning. He had a fire place in his room; if he could push the bed closer he'd be even warmer. All he had to do was try and start the damn thing; he never could. She always had to do it.

He growled. A torch would light the damn thing fine, she was just another damn  _distraction._

He shook his head as he focused on the soup once more. He hoped he'd be able to make at least edible. Then again, the male probably wouldn't even care about the taste once he woke up. He'd save the sandwich making for when, and if that happened. He still had no idea if he would make it through the night, even with the new clothes and the blankets. Rythian shook his head before pushing the thoughts away. For now, he focused on the soup that was on the stove. Once it got cooking, he got a torch off the wall and went to his room, piling some old wood into the fireplace before he started it. After placing the torch back in it's spot on the wall in the hallway, he went back in and pushed the bed closer to the flames. The male made a sound at the new warmth, then fell a bit more still.

Rythian stared at him. The clothing he had been wearing was ancient it seemed. He knew those symbols from his studies, they were runes from a tribe that was long dead.

Who the hell was this guy?

He reached down and brushed his fingers through his brown hair, and he shuddered but didn't move away, his eyes still closed. Rythian furrowed his eyebrows. So pale, like he had been out there for days... If that were true, he'd be long dead. And those scars, and bruises... What the hell was going on here? He moved his hand, brushing every strand of hair back from his forehead, revealing his entire face to him.

His face was seemed almost feminine, with his long black lashes and soft looking lips that were dry and a little cracked from the cold wind. The corners of his eyes closest to his nose were turned down slightly, and his body was small in shape but a bit curvy. Was the male before him even a man? He hadn't exactly _looked_  while he was undressing him, in fact, he kept his eyes turned upwards the entire time. And he had never exactly seen a woman naked. He once walked in on _her_ , but a towel had been thrown into his face half a second later and he sprinted out of there the first chance he got. He wasn't a pervert, after all. "... Hm." He said, then remembered the soup. "Shit!" He turned and ran out of the room, his guest's brown locks drifting back down to his forehead.


	4. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto wakes up, he and Rythian share official introductions, and Rythian mentally debates Seto's gender and his confusion about simple things such as clothing and the type of soup. Rythian also realizes that he can't leave Seto alone and it's time for a little 'take your guest to work' day.

Rythian raced down the steps to the kitchen, cursing quite colorfully underneath his breath. His vocabulary had gotten quite sour since he started living alone again. He came to the kitchen and raced to the stove, and quickly turned it down before it could boil over. He looked around for a bowl, and sighed loudly when he saw the unwashed dishes in the sink across the room. There were flies buzzing around them now. That was disgusting, even in his depressed state. He opened the cupboard above him and grabbed a cup. It'd have to do for now.

It had been a long while since he made this soup. Xephos was actually the one to teach it to him, surprisingly. He had stumbled upon his and Honeydew's first camp in Tekkitopia, the two claiming to have come from a far away land and had just saved the world. Rythian didn't believe a word, but the soup and tea were nice.

He almost smiled at the memory, but he caught himself and shook his head and his face going back to the stony, blank expression he wore nowadays. The emotions he felt since she had left were anger, frustration, and loneliness. As he held the cooling soup, he walked back into the room and settled down into a chair next to the fireplace, where he had a good view of the person he had brought into his home. He watched him and the flames for awhile, before he felt his eyelids growing heavy.

The exhaustion of work and the sleepless nights he put himself through finally crashed upon him all at once. "Shit..." he yawned. When was the last time he slept?

He blinked a few times, trying to keep himself awake, but soon he went to blink and he didn't open his eyes again. He had fallen asleep.

 

Seto felt warmth all around him, and his clothes weren't wet and didn't stick to him like the paste his mother used to make to keep things together. He rolled his head to the side, shivering as he tried to keep his eyes open. He was laying on a bed, and a fireplace was a bit away from him. It looked different from the ones he knew, but it had a fire in it, so...

He let out a soft cough, his body shaking slightly from the force. He felt uncomfortably hot around his head. Was he sick? He saw someone slumped in a chair across from them, a slight snore coming from under their mask. He blinked. Who was he? He tried to sit up, but when he was an inch off of the bed he fell back down with a small wheeze. Everything hurt, and his bones especially stung as the cold he had known for so long was melted away by the heat coming from the fireplace.

The man snapped awake as the bed squeaked underneath his actions. "Fuck, did I...?" He groaned. Seto blinked. That was accent he hadn't heard before.

"H-Hello?" Seto said, his voice weak and soft. "Who are you?"

"Oh. You're awake." He said, standing up and stretching. "I found you passed out in the middle of the woods." His speech was slightly slurred with sleep.

Seto shrank down fearfully when the man stood up. He was _tall._ Now that he was standing, he could see what he was wearing. It definitely wasn't any clothing he had seen before; in fact, they seemed to be made of some kind of fabric that he didn't even knew existed. He furrowed his eyebrows, then winced in pain as he grabbed his head and laid back down on the bed. He felt unbelievably hot, and it was strange but almost nice, feeling warmth even if it was uncomfortable after being so icy cold for so long.

"What were you doing in the woods?" The man asked, and he looked at him. "It's dangerous to go into the forest in the middle of the winter, and at night as well."

Seto stared at him, then looked away. Why was he out there...? He knew better than to be out in the forest this time of year, it _was_ dangerous, just as this man had said. He decided to avoid the question, at least until he remembered why. He glanced at the man once more. "W-Who are you?" He asked again.

"My name doesn't matter considering you will be leaving once you are better," he sighed, "but for your peace of mind, my name is Rythian."

Rythian... The name wasn't the least bit familiar. He racked his brain, but the only thing he could remember was snow and icy cold, and walking. Then falling. He furrowed his eyebrows, and then blinked as a name popped up. It felt familiar; and it felt like his own. "... I'm Seto." He whispered softly. Rythian seemed disinterested as he nodded briefly, before he suddenly placed a bottle on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Here. This is some soup. It might be a little cold now," Seto glanced at it and furrowed his eyebrows. Soup? The soup he knew didn't have... Anything in it.

"What's... In it...?" He asked, and Rythian looked at him strangely before he answered.

"Chicken and noodles." Seto looked confused, but he took the bottle and opened it, peering down into it. He sniffed it, then took a sip. His eyes widened, and he realized just how hungry he was actually was. Rythian watched him as he chugged the soup and chuckled. He needed to work on his red matter, but he couldn't just leave the male.

Was it a male? Fuck, he looked like a man, but he sounded and looked a little bit like he could be either one. He couldn't exactly just / _ask,_ / he didn't know a lot about socializing but he knew that that was pretty freaking rude. Especially nowadays, he heard there was some kind of  _'did you just assume my gender'_ thing going around. God, he did not understand people.

Rythian sighed as he realized his mind was wandering. No, he had to keep working. If he stayed he would get attached, and attachments are only distractions.

Suddenly, the mal- fem- his  _guest_ spoke. "Why did you...?" He glanced up and blinked.

"Hm?"  
"... Why did you save me?"

Rythian blinked. "Because you were dying. That seemed obvious."

Seto stared at him, then looked down. "... Dying..." He muttered. The room fell silent for a few moments, before Rythian suddenly turned away from him as he headed to the door.

"You should rest up some, and finish that soup."

Seto looked up, his eyes suddenly very wide with panic. "Wait, where are you going?!"

Rythian glanced back at him, stopping in front of the door with his hand on the doorknob. "I need to get back to my work. Besides, I don't want to keep you up, you need to rest." But Seto shook his head roughly, sitting up straighter despite the fact that the action made his head spin.

"N-No, please, let me come with you!"

Rythian tensed. He wasn't getting attached. He couldn't afford it right now.

Seto looked at him beggingly. His brown eyes were like those of a puppy's. "P-Please... I-I won't get in your way...!"

"You're sick, Seto. You have to stay here."

Now Seto looked like a kicked puppy, and it broke Rythian's fucking heart.

"Please, I-I can't be alone again!" Oh, sweet Notch, was he  _crying_ now? A tear dripped onto Seto's pale hand, and Rythian felt panic flood his veins. He could hardly handle people when they were happy- he certainly couldn't when they were  _crying!_

"S-Shit-" He stuttered, his eyes widening. "Oh, please don't cry!" He said quickly, running to his bedside. He reached forward and wiped away a tear. "I-I have a cot where I work, you can... You can just rest there! Yeah! How about that?"

Seto looked up with tears running down his face. "You won't leave me?"

"..."

_"Promise we'll always be apprentice and mentor, Rythain! Promise you won't ever leave me!"_

Rythian blinked away the memory quickly, before he looked down at Seto. Couldn't hurt to make another promise like that. He hadn't broken the last one anyway. "... Yeah... I won't." He finally said, his voice a lot more quiet than he had meant it to be. Seto let out a shaky sigh of relief, before he reached up rubbed his eyes. He felt a little shameful that he had been reduced to tears at the thought of being alone, but he couldn't blame himself too bad. The only company that he had had for the longest time was the harsh cold wind and the snow. He wanted something else, something warm and something human.

"Th-thank you." He muttered.

Rythian grimaced. "No...no problem." He sighed, glancing away as he rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't believe he was doing this... What about no distractions or attachments? "Come on, let's head downstairs." He said, standing up from where he had knelt down beside the bed. Seto pushed the blankets off of himself, and shivered as he did. He noticed the sweatpants and black tank top he was wearing, and he blinked.

"What am I wearing?" He asked, looking up at Rythian with confusion. Rythian cleared his throat.

"Uh... Some of my clothes. When I brought you in, your clothes were all cold and wet, so..." Seto blushed slightly and looked away.

"O-Oh." He said, then stood up. His legs wobbled and his head spun, but he took a deep breath and tried to power through it. "W-What strange clothes..." He muttered as he noticed how easy it was to move in the sweatpants. They were comfortable, but they looked like they were ready to fall down at any moment. He snickered slightly at the thought, and he looked up as Rythian looked at him with one eyebrow raised slightly.

"I don't think you're my size." He told him with a slight grin.

Rythian smiled slightly, looking the male up and down. "You are... Tiny." He said, and Seto giggled. Rythian turned away. "Alright, c'mon, let's go." He took a step forward, and that's when he heard Seto yelp. He turned around to see Seto falling, and his eyes widened before he quickly moved his arm, catching it under Seto's chest and stomach as he just stopped him from hitting the ground. He quickly pulled Seto up, wrapping his arms around him. Seto was shaking and breathing heavily, his eyes wide and fearful from his near fall. Rythian let out a shaky sigh, rubbing his face with his hand. "Okay, I... Think I better carry you." He muttered, before he hooked one of his arms underneath Seto's legs, pulling him up off the ground. Seto yelped, grabbing onto his collar.

Rythian turned, holding him bridal style a bit awkwardly. He had never really... Done this to anyone. No one but... _Her_... He gritted his teeth, then started walking briskly. He had to get back to working, so his mind would be too damn busy again. He was thinking of her too much. He couldn't wait until this Seto person would leave and he'd be alone again.

Seto looked around the castle as they left the room and headed down the stairs. "This place is so big...how have I never noticed it?"

Rythian shrugged. "It's been around for awhile now." He said. "I don't know how you've never seen it." Seto looked at him, then looked away as he didn't say anything, furrowing his eyebrows. This place was so grand... Was he even in the same area as before? And if so, how long had he been walking? He shook his head and turned his head away, pressing his face against Rythian's shoulder. Rythian glanced at him in surprise, then just looked forward without saying anything or shifting his shoulder away.

They finally made it to Rythian's study. It was filled with books and various magic artifacts. Rythian placed Seto on the cot that was in the corner before walking to his desk, which was in the middle of the room. "There. You can pick a book and read if you like."

"Okay..." Seto whispered, before he looked around. How strange... He looked at one of the artifacts that was closest to his cot and his eyes sparked with wonder. He tilted his head as he stared at the object underneath the thin pane of glass protecting it from the outside world.. The artifact was a pocket-watch, with a gem on the end of the short chain that was attached to it. It was really pretty.

Suddenly, pain exploded in his head, and he gasped before he grabbed it and bent forward, falling out of the cot.

_A tan hand was holding out the pocket-watch to him._

_"It's supposed to point you to the one that you love the most. I thought it'd be a good way for us to keep track of each other."_

_He heard his own giggle, before his pale hand, only, it wasn't nearly as pale as they were now, placed itself over the pocket-watch._

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were saying that you loved me." His voice, light and full of life, mused._


	5. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time passes and Rythian and Seto get into a little onesided argument. Afterwards, Rythian has a disturbing and strange nightmare.

_A tan hand was holding out the pocket-watch to him._

_"It's supposed to point you to the one that you love the most. I thought it'd be a good way for us to keep track of each other."_

_He heard his own giggle, before his pale hand, only, it wasn't nearly as pale as they were now, placed itself over the pocket-watch._

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were saying that you loved me." His voice, light and full of life, mused._

 

 

The stranger's voice and his own were booming and it hurt his ears, and his head was throbbing in pain as he held it. _Ow, ow, ow...!_ Was the only thing he could clearly think. That and a bunch of half-hearted curses that really didn't make him feel any better about his situation. Finally, he became aware of the hands gripping his shoulders and the voice yelling his name.

"Seto! Seto!"

He raised his head, trembling. He opened his eyes, and the light of the room made him cry out and squeeze his eyes shut. Everything hurt... And he was so cold...

"Seto, look at me," he heard Rythian order.

"I-I can't..." He groaned in reply, his head dropping down. He felt hands latch gently around his neck in a secure grip, lifting his head back up. He cried out as he felt the light on his eyelids. "Seto, look at me!" Rythian said, his voice a bit more stern than before. Seto winced, but slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the light as he trembled. Why did the light hurt? He had only just closed his eyes when he fell out of the cot. He looked up, his weak, teary brown eyes meeting dark purple ones.

"I need you to take deep breaths and get used to the light for me, okay?" Rythian ordered. "Are you okay?"

Seto's eyes twitched, practically begging for him to close them. "I-I don't..." He let out a choked sob. "I-I don't know...!"

"Calm down, calm down." Rythian said gently. "It's okay."

"I-It's so c-cold...!" Seto whimpered, shaking like he was in the snowstorm again. It felt like he was. Rythian tilted his head. Cold? This room always felt hot and humid to him Seto looked up at him shakily, tears rushing down his cheeks. Rythian's eyes saddened. He just seemed so fragile...

"Come on, let's get you laid down." He said gently, grabbing Seto's shoulders. Seto let him lift him into the cot, curling up as Rythian pulled the blanket up to cover him. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked gently.

"J... J-Just don't leave me..." Seto whispered after a few moments.

"Please, I never want to leave this study." Seto saw something shift under his mask. Was that a smile? He smiled shakily himself, but by then, Rythian had already turned away and was heading back to his desk. He burrowed himself into the blanket, wrapping it tightly around himself as he watched Rythian begin to work. The books he was examining looked... Familiar. He didn't know why, considering he was pretty sure he didn't have any bit of magic in him, but they did. Maybe it had something to do with the life he had before he woke up here? He remembered walking in some forest, and falling... That had to be where Rythian found him, but _why_  was he in the forest?

How long was he in those god forsaken woods? How long would the chill in his bones and heart last?

He must've fallen asleep. He floated in a black, cold abyss as he did, racking and racking his brain. He could find nothing. When he woke up to Rythian gently shaking his shoulder, he felt like he hadn't slept at all. The room was still bright, but Rythian seemed to block it out for the most part. Seto blinked up at him slowly, his eyes burning. "Mhm...?"

"C'mon, let's get something to eat."

~Two days later~

Seto found himself able to last at least ten minutes without the blankets, but then the chill would start to seep back into his bones and he'd need to bury himself into the materials all over again. Rythian spent most of his time in the study, and since Seto wasn't ready to be alone yet, he did too. He read a few books, but avoided looking at the artifacts out of fear he'd have another one of his little 'moments' like he had before. Usually he'd be reading by now, but Rythian had his attention. He seemed very bitter, and angry, today.

Rythian groaned. "Aluminum. Not tin." He muttered to himself. This ring was driving him insane and it wasn't even a powerful one. Seto tilted his head as he watched him. He moved a bit closer, looking down at the crafting bench. Rythian glanced at him and squinted. "Seto, lie back down. You can't get better if don't stop moving." He sighed in frustration.

"Try it with gold." Seto said softly. "It's sturdier, it'll last longer, and hold more power."

"That doesn't make any sense. Gold is soft and easy to corrode." Rythian said, turning in his chair.

"Not if you harden it with a spell, or with fire." Seto said. "At least try it, you seem to be running out of ideas anyway." He didn't know how he knew that- but he just did.

Rythian sighed. "I don't have gold. Or tin. Or fucking aluminum!" He snarled.

"Why do you need a ring like this anyway?" Seto asked. "This spell does a lot of destruction..."

Rythian felt his anger hitting it's peak. His cheeks turned a dark purple as the blood inside of him almost seemed to boil. He didn't know why he was so angry, it especially wasn't because of poor Seto. But he couldn't stop himself from snapping at him. "It's none of your damn business! You're gonna be out of here soon anyway!" He glared at him. "Besides, I thought you said you didn't know anything about magic!" Seto hesitated, and then sighed.

"Well, I guess I know some of it..." He muttered, looking away before he turned and started to walk back towards the cot. "Sorry for bothering you." 

The mage sat in silence as he flipped through his notebook. "Stupid rings. Stupid Duncan, Stupid, stupid stupid..."

"... Duncan?" Seto muttered, looking back at Rythian. Rythian glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

"I thought you were done?!" Seto flinched, then sighed. He went over to the cot, but instead of laying down he picked up the blanket and pillow.

"Where are you going?" Rythian asked, turning around.

"Upstairs, so I don't bother you."

Rythian nodded. "Very well."

Seto left the room. Ten minutes passed before Rythian realized he couldn't focus. At all. He kept reading the same words over and over again.

He sat there, glaring at the book. He leaned back into his chair. He had been studying for hours, and nothing had been stopping him. So what the hell was happening now? He sighed. He was hungry, that's all it was. Hungry and tired. He just needed some coffee to refuel. He stood up, leaving his office. He went down the hallway, and blinked as he realized how cold it was in the small space. He shuddered, hugging himself and rubbing his arms. Shit, what the hell? Sure, it was winter, but his castle usually stayed fairly warm. It was never so cold that he could see his breath. Maybe a window was broken? He groaned. If another damn skeleton broke one of his windows with their arrow... He'd look for it after he was done studying for the day. He was too tired to deal with it now. He walked into the kitchen, going to get the coco beans.

He was halfway done with the coffee when he felt someone walk past him, and he looked behind himself. But no one was there. He furrowed his eyebrows, then groaned. Maybe he was getting too damn sleep deprived, that was why he couldn't focus- so damn tired that he was beginning to see shit. But he didn't  _want_ to sleep. He  _wanted_ to make more rings, study more spells, get closer and closer to his damn revenge. He growled and shook his head, rubbing his right eye angrily. He just wanted to be done with this, that's what he wanted. He wanted things to be the same, in his old home before Duncan and that bastard Sjin messed it all up, by himself with his magic and his solitude. And if he couldn't have that, he at least wanted Zoey.

It was getting colder. He raised his scarf further up the bridge of his nose. His fingers were starting to go numb, it felt like. He looked down at them, flexing them a few times. They were a few shades lighter than the natural tan they were and the tips looked like they were beginning to turn blue. What the hell? Was it even that cold? He turned around, intent on seeing if he could find the source, whether or not it'd be a broken window.

That's when he saw him.

Seto was standing in the doorway, staring at him with glossed, lifeless eyes that still seemed to stare into his very soul. He was wearing the same exact clothes that Rythian had found him in, only they weren't wet. They seemed dry. His skin was as pale as the snow he had found him freezing in, with his veins as clear as day. Rythian stepped back, his hand moving down, right in the flames he had been using to make the coffee. But it didn't hurt. Hell, the flames didn't seem to hold any ounce of warmth, as if they were freezing just as much as he was.

Seto stepped towards him, opening his mouth. It opened wide, wider than any normal human's mouth should, before he let out a loud, terrifying screech. Rythian shouted out, covering his ears-

And he bolted up from where he had fallen asleep at his desk, coughing and sputtering for breath as he grabbed the edge of the wooden piece of furniture. His heart was pounding, and he still felt cold, but he realized very soon it was because the fire that he had kept going for Seto had gone out. He stood up and walked over to it briskly, trembling as he knelt down beside it to try and bring life back into the dying flames. What a dream...

God. Why even think about something like that?

 


	6. Burned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rythian gets distracted and burns himself. He and Seto make up because of it though, so that's a plus!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to point out that I AM IN NO WAY A DOCTOR. I did do some research as I was editing this, and I learned that pressing ice to a burn is NOT a good idea. So, don't do that kids. But to be honest, I'm too lazy to come up with a whole way about how Seto would be able to help Rythian, considering neither of them have magic. At least, Rythian's healing magic isn't working at the moment and most of it comes from his rings and amulets and alchemy stuff in the first place. As for Seto, I can't deny or confirm the fact that he has magic.
> 
> SO, just give me the benefit of the doubt. We'll just say it's some Minecraft physics or something. If you guys can do that for me then I can promise that I'll be writing things like this much more realistically ^^ But enough of my rant- Enjoy!

Rythian's heart was still hammering in his chest as his fingers struggled to hold the steel steady enough to strike against the the flint. He cursed as his fingers dropped the steel striker entirely. "Dammit!" He shouted, burying his head into his hands. He hadn't had a nightmare like that for awhile, mainly because he hardly slept. Whenever he did, he had a nightmare of _her_  leaving. It always started out the same. She and him would be in the farm when she would smile before standing up and walking away. He'd try to chase after her, calling her name and reaching out for her, but she never seemed to hear him and he never could catch up.

No matter how much he tried, no matter how many times he teleported, no matter how hard and fast he ran, he never could keep up with her. Never. And it ached and hurt his heart, with his eyes stuck on her back. Unable to do anything, only able to relieve the pain of her leaving him again. And again. Then somehow, she would disappear forever. Sometimes she was consumed by shadows, sometimes she was devoured by wolves that bore a likeness to his worst enemies, and then sometimes she was torn apart by endermen while deep purple eyes watched from afar.

He didn't notice that he was burning his head until he felt shooting pain go up his arm, his cells turning numb. He let out a loud curse, ripping his hand away from the now roaring fire. "Shit!" He hissed, nursing it as he backed away. Well, at least  _some_ of his magic was working now. He looked down. Burns were coming upon his skin, glowing red against the tanned flesh. _Fuck!_ He heard the door open, and he looked up. For a moment, he almost saw her as he saw the concern in the wide eyes, but then he realized that it wasn't her. It was Seto, looking at him with wide, but bland brown eyes.

"Rythian-?" He started to speak, and then he saw his hand. He gasped. "Rythian!" He raced to his side, grabbing his arm gently. His hand was cold, but it felt nice with the heat radiating from his hand. "What happened?!"

"Nothing!" Rythian hissed. "Just, fuck, I need some ice."

"I'll get some!" Seto said quickly, before he turned and ran out of the room quickly. Rythain watched him go, his eyes glowing, before more pain ran through his arm and he hissed in agony, gripping his wrist tighter even though that  _certainly_ wasn't going to help him any.

Seto got out the door of the crumbling castle and into the snow. The cold immediately washed over him, chilling him to the bone. He shuddered, hugging himself. He hated having to get ice. The only place he knew where to get it was outside, in the winter, or down in the cellar where it was cold enough to freeze water. He didn't know if Rythian had a cellar or not, and he didn't want to waste time trying to find out or asking him. So, he went to the next best thing- Outside. He didn't have any idea about what a fridge or a freezer was, the two names didn't even cross his mind.

Getting the ice itself would be no problem, not with how cold it was out here, but that was also just the problem. The cold. How long could he endure it after nearly dying in it? The snow was pretty, and he had a feeling that once he adored it. But, now, after nearly dying because of it, he didn't even want to look at it again. He pushed down his discomfort and fear - god, he was pathetic, who was scared of snow? - before he trudged forward through the white material, looking around. He jumped onto a rock and reached up towards the icicles that were hanging above the tall door, biting his lip as he stood up on his tippy toes. His hand brushed against it, he yelped at how cold it was, and his foot slipped off the rock.

His head hit the stone the castle was made of, so hard that he felt his body vibrating. He trembled as he hit the ground, his vision blurred and spinning as he sat there, shaking in the cold. But despite the fact that he shouldn't even be alive from the hit, or at least have a concussion, he shook his head roughly and stood back up. He stumbled, his vision spinning slightly, before he gritted his teeth and swallowed the pain. He pulled off his shoe, ignoring the icy wind that instantly numbed his foot, before he threw it up at the icicles with a strained cry. It hit the icicle, breaking half of it off before the rest of it fell.

It hit the snow, disappearing into the material, leaving only outlines of it from where it had pushed down the snow. Seto pulled his shoe back on, quickly jumping off of the rock. He stumbled, falling to his knees before he reached into the snow and grabbed the two broken ice icicles. Shaking harder than he ever had before, he sprinted inside, the throbbing in his head now just a dull ache as he ran towards the office where Rythian was waiting for him. He hoped it hadn't taken him too long...

Rythian was nursing his trembling hand as Seto rushed in. His lips were blue and he was deathly pale. He was only out of the room for two minutes, how did that happen?

"S-Sorry...! Okay, this is gonna burn, but-"

_"FUCK!"_ Rythian screamed as Seto pressed the icicle against his hand, dropping to one knee. His vision tried to black out from the pain as Seto gripped his wrist. Despite how tiny Seto was, he had a pretty strong grip. Rythian couldn't pull his hand away. His grip was cold and tight like a iron vise. The pain eventually dulled as the cold chased away the heat in his hand and offered cool release. He opened his eyes and hissed slightly. Seto was still standing in front of him, looking down at him with worry. Rythian noticed then just how short he was. He was only a head taller than Rythian when he was on his knee.

"Y-You should be more careful..." Seto whispered softly, still keeping the ice icicles pressed into his hand. Rythian held back a hiss, glancing away from Seto as he swallowed. He wasn't used to someone being worried about him. He had almost forgotten what it felt like after she had left him.

"I was just... reading about something and then burned myself." He lied, not wanting to explain that he had nearly burned his hand off because he was thinking of the nightmares he had of someone that was long gone. Seto wouldn't understand, and even then he'd probably think he was pathetic and weak. Not that Seto's opinion of him mattered... He was nothing to him. Just someone he had saved and was stuck with for  _god_ knows how long. Seto eyed him warily, his eyebrows furrowed sadly, before he just shook his head. It was quiet between them for awhile, before Seto looked at Rythian again.

"What would you have done if I wasn't here?"

"I'd would've waited for the stinging to stop and plunged my hand in the snow." Rythian growled, eyeing Seto. "Which I might still do."

"Don't do that you idiot!" Seto hissed, glaring at him slightly, though the anger was small compared to the worry in the brown eyes. "If you get snow down in them, it'll hurt even more!"

"Fuck, I just need to let it rest. Which is what you should be doing, now that I think about it." Rythian growled, glaring at him angrily. Seto, surprisingly, actually glared back this time. His eyes had an even brighter gleam in them, almost like a small flame.

"What, am I just supposed to lay in bed when I hear you scream?" He snapped, and though the anger was there, Rythian also heard a little hurt- and quite a bit of worry. He was quiet for a few seconds, before he sighed and stood up.

"No, you're right. I'm sorry." He said tiredly, but honestly. "Thank you. I probably wouldn't have much of a hand left if it weren't for you."

Seto blinked, before he blushed faintly and looked away, furrowing his eyebrows in what almost looked like confusion. Rythian blinked. Was he not used to being thanked? Strange. Being at his full height, though, he realized something. Seto's head only went to his shoulder. It was kinda funny, to be honest. "I'm sorry too." Seto suddenly said, looking up at Rythian. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Rythian smiled slightly. "I deserved it. I'm an asshole, I need someone nice to knock me down a few pegs when I get too mean." Seto blinked, before he giggled. Rythian's eyes widened in surprise, before he looked away, his cheeks turning a light purple. The sound was beautiful. He couldn't lie about that.

"We should probably bandage up your hand." Seto said, and Rythian looked down at the mentioned limb. It was numb from the ice, which was nice, but he knew it wouldn't last long. If he just put some cream on it and maybe a healing ring, he'd probably be healed with just a few small scars in a day or two- three if the burns were deep. He nodded as he looked at Seto and smiled lightly.

"Yeah. Want to get something to eat after that?"

Seto looked up at him, then smiled.

"Sounds good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all Author and I were able to roleplay of this plot before we moved onto a different roleplay (we can't ever finish one, I swear!) But, this has put me in a good standing of the plot, so I think I'll be able to take it from here pretty easily! Thanks for being patient with me guys, and I hope we'll all be able to enjoy the rest of this story.


	7. Cooking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto and Rythian cook together, and Seto doesn't exactly settle for some regular sandwiches! Rythian gets a home cooked meal in the first time in forever and learns a bit more about Seto along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO BETA-READER, WE DIE LIKE MEN!  
> Or, well, women in my case.

The pain in Rythian's hand had dulled down, and he only felt it throb every couple of minutes. A bit annoying, but it didn't hurt like an absolute bitch to move. He had wrapped it around in some gauze he found lying around, and slipped on a healing ring to help the process. He ended up wrapping the other hand in gauze, because for some reason, it bugged him that only one of his hands were wrapped up in gauze. He thought it'd be annoying at first, but he adjusted to it quickly and actually found that his hands were a lot warmer than they usually were. _I might keep this stuff on,_  he thought to himself, following Seto to the kitchen, _even once my hand's healed._

"So, what kind of food do you have?" Seto asked with interest as they entered the kitchen, sliding up to the breakfast bar ( _she_ had been hellbent on them having one) as he looked at Rythian. Rythian smiled slightly and looked at one of the cupboards that had some bread that he was certain wasn't moldy yet.

"I was thinking of just making some simple sandwiches." He said. Seto blinked, and then raised an eyebrow.

"Sandwiches?"  
"Yeah, why, something wrong with that?"  
"I suppose not... If you didn't look skinny as a stick."

Rythian made a strangled noise of half-hearted, mock hurt. "I'm not as skinny as a stick! I have some muscles!" He defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest. Seto giggled.

"I'm sure you do," he said, and for some reason Rythian found himself blushing, "but with how little meat you have on said muscles, they're hardly noticeable!" He threw his hand up in exasperation. "Men!" Rythian's eyebrow twitched up. Men? So, was... Seto a girl? Before he could think much on it, Seto was walking around the breakfast bar and heading over to the stove, looking at it curiously like he had ever seen on like it before. He turned to Rythian, a hand on his- her? - hip. "Do you have pasta?"

Rythian blinked. "Pasta? Uh... Maybe... That doesn't go bad too easily, does it?" Seto raised an eyebrow but didn't question him, turning to a cupboard Rythian pointed to before he pulled it open. He rummaged through a few things that were definitely expired, before he let out a cry of accomplishment and stepped back with a grin. He held a packet of pasta, looking down at it with interest.

"Never seen it packed like this, but these are the exact noodles I always use for this recipe!" He chirped, setting it down before he continued to rummage through the cupboards, pulling various items out after making sure they were still good before setting them aside. Rythian watched with a raised eyebrow, leaning against the breakfast bar. He hadn't feel so comfortable in his kitchen in a long time.

"What exactly are you making?" He asked. Seto smiled as he pulled out some tomatoes, turning to Rythia as he set them down.

"My own little recipe! I'm guessing you like pasta?" He asked. Rythian allowed himself to flinch, since Seto had already turned back around to continue looking for the ingredients he needed. He did like pasta, very much in fact. It was one of his favorites. But that was because she had introduced him to a few dishes that made him fall in love with it. He hadn't even wanted to think about the dish, ever since she left... But what was he going to tell Seto, that he didn't? He- she? God, he didn't know!- looked so excited and actually alive. If cooking this dish was making him so excited, Rythian was going to eat this stuff even if it tasted like bittersweet memories and tears.

"I like it." He answered after a bit of a pause.

"Good! Then you're going to love my recipe!" Seto grinned. "My friends called it the Miracle Pasta! Wanna know why?" Rythian raised an eyebrow as Seto continued without waiting for an answer. "Once, we were completely low on food. All we had was some pasta and some of these ingredients!" He gestured to the items he had on the counter next to him. There was an onion, some cloves of garlic, the tomatoes from before, oregano, basil, and a knife. He assumed that would be used to cut some of the ingredients up. "We were absolutely _starving._  There was a raging snowstorm outside, and we couldn't go out to hunt or go to the marketplace! Like anyone would be out and selling stuff out in the storm anyway!" He laughed and smiled, eyes shinning.

"We got to the point where we were so hungry that we were ready to eat these tomatoes raw, and I _hate_  tomatoes by themselves. Well, I knew better. I knew I had to make a meal out of this _somehow_  so it would last long and be more fulfilling." He smiled. "So I made a pasta. And that's what we lived off of for the next three days, all eight of us, before the storm stopped and we could hunt. We probably would've starved to _death_ if it weren't for my cooking skills!" He said, then blushed and giggled. "At least, that's what my friends always said." Rythian smiled softly as he saw the glow in Seto's eyes.

"Eight of you, huh?" He asked. Seto nodded, and a wistful look glowed in his eyes.

"We... We were a damn good team... We were called Crafted, because we crafted the most perfect team." Rythian stared at him, his eyes a bit sad but understanding. He had a team like that once. Before everything just... Ended. Seto blinked, and he looked away with a soft sigh. He smiled instead, pulling himself from his sad trance. "So, that's why we called it the Miracle Pasta." He finished, beginning to cut up some of the ingredients he pulled out. The smile was gone now, replaced by a look of concentration, but the glint of happiness still shined in his eyes. Rythian smiled as he watched him.

"Pretty inspiring." He said. "Thankfully, we shouldn't find ourselves in such a situation. The worst of winter should be over." Seto sighed in relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he looked out the nearest window, out at the land around the castle that was blanketed by snow.

"I used to love winter..." He whispered, and Rythian's eyes saddened. A few moments passed, and he shifted, before he decided to take a shot in the dark.

"Wanna hear a funny story about my friends?"

And that's how they entertained themselves as the pasta was made and cooked. Rythian told countless, countless stories about the crazy things he and his friends, Yogscast, had gotten themselves into. The castle was filled with laughter for the first time in months, and when Rythian tasted the pasta, it tasted delicious and nothing like tears.


	8. Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A silver haired dragon searches for a certain mage who he lost so many years ago.

Ethan missed the old days.

The ones filled with laughter, with smiles, with victories and pure and good causes. He missed saving lives, and helping those who couldn't protect themselves. He missed it all. Nowadays, he just roamed the world that had changed so much since the good old days. Since _him._  He used to search for the others, to see if somehow, by some miracle from the Gods, that they were still living. But he gave up after a few centuries.

But, here he was, sniffing among the snow, his pupils dilated and his eyes wide. He smelled him. He smelled one of his dearest friends here in this snow. He wanted to say that it could be anyone else, but no one had the _same exact fucking scent_  as Seto Harvey Sorcerer once did. Warm, cinnamon, chocolate, and a few others that Ethan was freaking out too much to pinpoint. This was Seto's scent. Somehow his friend was still alive.

He wanted to scream, he was so fucking excited. He leapt around in the snow, kicking up the white flakes, grinning widely as his red eyes shimmered and glowed for the first time in years. He was glad that he wasn't in public, but instead in the woods, because this would've been almost embarrassing. He was acting like a giddy kid on Christmas morning, but could he blame himself? Absolutely not. He felt like the Gods themselves had blessed him. He had been alone for so, so long, and now he had the chance of finding one of his oldest and best friends. He knelt down and studied the tracks in the snow, his eyes shimmering. They were certainly as tiny as Seto's, that was for sure.

He raised his head, before he stood. His silver hair fluttered in the wind, along with the end of his black trench coat. Everything he was black- his trench coat, the shirt he wore underneath, his pants, his heavy boots. The only thing not black was his pale skin, his hair, his gleaming red eyes, and the silver chain glittering around his neck. The charm was hidden under his shirt. He looked around, and as a wind blew through, took a sharp breath. He followed the tracks, and when those disappeared, he followed the scent.

He didn't know how Seto was alive after nearly four hundred and thirty eight years, but he didn't care. He just cared about tracking his friend and then he would worry about how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short, but it's important~


	9. Another Uninvited Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rythian goes shopping at a market a day's trip from his home. Seto stays at the castle and Rythian faces memories of him and Zoey at a place she adored the most by himself for the very first time since she had left. After it all, he comes home to a surprise.

A few days had passed since Rythian had burned his hand. The pain was completely gone and he did have a few scars, but he kept the white gauze around his hands. He found it easier to experiment, and it kept his hands warm whenever he was outside. That pasta had been delicious, and since then, Seto had been cooking for the two of them. It was much better then the sandwiches he had been scarfing down between experiments whenever his body couldn't go on any longer without food. Seto seemed confused by his stove, but after a few meals he seemed to be getting the hang of it. Though, one could only cook so much when three fourths of the food in the place was moldy and way past the expiration date. He finally put his foot down and asked Rythian to go buy them "some actual food, for Notch's sake!" Rythian hadn't wanted to go, but since the garden was out of season and beyond repair in the cold, he had no other choice. Especially when Seto offered to make this stew that sounded _delicious._

So, he packed up some things he would need for the trip. He didn't have a horse anymore, he had freed his after... Zoey had left. He would be going on foot. Seto mentioned he should buy a horse at the market, if any one was selling some. Rythian knew he was right, but the last time he had gone horse shopping... Zoey had been with him. Even though he found himself able to walk through the castle a bit easier, and he didn't turn every corner mistaking a shadow for her, he couldn't do half of the things they had done together still. But, he was making progress, he supposed. He could think her name without feeling like he was going to shut down. He couldn't say it, but... It was progress. It was something to show that all of these months of suffering could possibly end. The mage couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the energetic stranger in his house.

Seto had become more alive, and much more talkative. The outfit Rythian had found him in had dried and Seto found himself much more comfortable wearing that. He looked rather adorable, moving around in that cute little outfit that was full of so much purple. Cooking really seemed to brighten him up. Maybe that was another reason why Rythian was taking the time to go out to the market and risk having a mental breakdown from all of the memories there. He snorted slightly at the thought as he pulled on his coat, then looked up as Seto walked around the corner and smiled at him brightly. "Oh good, you're still here!" He said, before he held up a bag. "I packed the last bit of Miracle Pasta for you! The cold will keep it good, and though it is always better warm, it's something to eat in case you can't find a pig or a cow, like you planned." He rolled his eyes.  _"Men."_

Rythian laughed as he took the bag. There was something that had changed, and that was that Rythian  _still_ wasn't sure about Seto's gender. But he wasn't asking. Nope. He was too socially anxious for this. "Well, thank you Seto~ I'll be fine, though! It's only a day there and a day back." He said, smiling slightly underneath his mask. He had been smiling and laughing a lot these past few days. It felt nice. Seto smiled.

  
"Well, that's still a pretty long way! You could be gone for three days!" He pouted slightly, then actually frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. "It's gonna be weird being here by myself..." Rythian's eyes saddened.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" He asked, even though he knew the answer, even before Seto began to shake his head.

"I- I'm sorry, Rythian, but... I can't travel in the snow... Not after..." He sighed. "I'd only slow you down..." He smiled sadly. "But, please try to come back soon... I don't like being alone." Rythian's eyes saddened. He understood that feeling all too well, even if it had been a long time.

"Don't worry, Seto. I'll be back in three days- maybe even two."  
"Well, don't skip out on sleeping because of me!"

Rythian smiled as Seto laughed. He was glad that he got to make him smile before he left. He glanced out the window and saw that the sun was beginning to climb up the sky steadily. He stepped back to the door, holding the bag and his satchel full of supplies. He pulled his satchel over his head. "Well, I need to get started if I want to make good progress before sunset."

Seto nodded. He hesitated. It looked like he wanted to say something. Rythian waited, furrowing his eyebrows after a few moments. Suddenly, Seto stepped forward and hugged Rythian tightly. His small arms wrapped around Rythian's waist and his head buried into his chest. Rythian almost dropped the bag holding the pasta in shock, looking down at the male with wide eyed surprise. "P-Please..." Seto whispered, and Rythian blinked. "Stay safe..." Rythian didn't get a chance to decide if he should hug back or not, because then Seto quickly stepped back from him. He wiped at his eyes and grinned shakily. "Sorry...! I can be a bit dramatic!" Rythian stared at him, and he knew that wasn't it. Seto looked away and took a deep breath, before he looked at Rythian with a stronger smile. Rythian stared at him, before his eyes softened.

"Well... I'll be back in three days." Seto nodded as he watched Rythian open the door and step outside. He came up to the doorway and leaned against it, holding the door open with his hand. Rythian walked a few meters away, then turned and saw that Seto was still watching him. He waved, and chuckled when the sorcerer waved back. He turned and continued walking and didn't look back again, but he knew Seto was still watching him. He kind of hoped that he would change his mind and run out to meet him, and travel with him to the marketplace. But he soon, he disappeared into the forest and Seto's gaze disappeared from his presence as they were both blocked from each other's line of vision. He stopped for a few moments, looking back at the treeline behind him. But he didn't hear footsteps crunching into the snow, and he didn't see the sorcerer coming out of the trees and to his side. Seto didn't come out, and he couldn't decide if that mattered to him or not.

Finally, he shook his head and looked forward again. He swallowed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose before he trudged on through the snow. He remembered the path to the marketplace, even though it had been so, so long. He couldn't forget anything from that place. Not when all of the memories he used to cherish so much came from it.

 

It took a day and a half to the market, because the wind was against him and the snow was pretty tall.  _Maybe I should get a horse,_ he thought to himself.  _I don't want to take that long getting home... Actually, it would take even longer. Who knows how much I'll be carrying. I told Seto I'd be back in at least three days..._ He sighed and brushed it off. He would come decide what to do when it came time for that. Right now, he just had to focus on... Surviving  _this._

He looked around the marketplace as he walked in. It was just as he remembered it. The same stalls, a few new ones in once empty spaces here and there. Children were running around, expertly dodging adults' legs as they chased one another and played make-believe. Meanwhile, their parents were either buying or selling. He could hear prices being haggled. old friends catching up, familiar banter being played between a grouchy old woman and a jolly old man that were said to be 'archenemies.' The old woman was a butcher while the old man was a farmer. Rythian didn't believe they were enemies. The old woman was probably just so sick of the old man's always chipper attitude. Rythian stopped by the baker at first, who seemed to busy to recognize him. His eyes lit up with some recognition when he ordered his usual, some loafs of bread and some cinnamon rolls, but then he was too focused on his rowdy child tugging on his apron.

"Papa, Daddy needs you in the bakery!"  
"Well, tell Daddy that I'm too busy right now! I've got a mile long!"

Rythian snorted slightly as he walked away from the stall. Though he hadn't been here in perhaps a year, Baker Tyler and his son Ty looked the same. He wondered how Tyler's husband, Mitch, was doing. He shrugged and continued on, not caring to look back and find out. He had been a regular at this market once, at least once a week. After all, it took only half a day on horse, in good weather. But that was when... Zoey would be with him, and there was no doubt in his mind that they would ask where she was. He wasn't sure he'd be able to face that.

He didn't have many other stalls to visit afterwards. He stopped by the alchemy store, and thankfully, an assistant he had never seen before was behind the counter. He bought some things he was beginning to run out of in his office and left as quickly as he appeared, not wanting to run into the owner of the shop. They would  _surely_ remember him. After that, it was the old man's vegetable stall and the old woman's meat stall. He hoped that they would be too busy bantering for them to recognize him. He came up to the old woman's stall first, and bought several pieces of steak, pork, and chicken without much of a problem. He pointed to what he wanted and she bagged it up for him, telling him the price between breaths before going back to arguing. He paid and took the bag, then moved onto the old man's stall.

He  _almost_ got away. He had gotten the vegetables Seto had asked for and more, and was in the middle of paying. That's when the old man actually got a good look at his face and stopped. Rythian's heart dropped into his stomach as the man grinned widely at him. "Rythian!" He said in his happy, chipper voice, grabbing the younger man's hand. The money fell onto the stall but the old man didn't seem to notice and/or care. "My boy, I was beginning to think something had happened! You haven't been here for weeks, months even!" The old woman glanced at Rythian before she blinked.

"Oh, I thought you looked familiar." She said in her raspy voice. There was no doubt she had smoked a lot in her younger years. "Where have you been boy?"

"We were beginning to think you had moved, or started growing your own vegetables!" The old man grinned. Rythian cleared his throat.

"Well, it's been a bit busy recently-"  
"Wait a second, where's that girl of yours?"

Rythian's blood ran cold and he felt his chest tighten. There it was. The old woman squinted at his reaction and pressed further. "Is she alright? She's always with you- I swear, I've never seen you two leave each other's side for even a moment." Rythian knew she didn't mean it, but she was really messing with his senses. His train of thought had long since crashed into the brick wall that was his anxiety, and he couldn't really breathe right. All of the memories he had of Zoey were bouncing all over his head now, and he could  _hear_ her voice.

_"Rythian, look at this!"  
_ _"Oooo, we should have this for dinner! And this for dessert! I know how much you have a sweet tooth~!"  
_ _"Oh my Notch, Rythian, can I get this?! Please please pleaseeee! It's so cute!"_

Tears were gathering in his eyes. The old man looked startled as he saw them and the old woman actually looked surprised for once. Rythian pulled his hand away from the older man's and quickly grabbed the fallen golden coins, pushing them into his hand before he grabbed the bag of now-paid vegetables. "G-Good day." His voice was shaky as the forced the two words out, before he turned and walked away briskly. He heard them call out after him, but he ducked into the crowd and allowed himself to get lost in the crowd of people. Their laughs and voices were making his ears ring. Children darted in front of him. Zoey's voice was still in his ears, and his heart broke more and more with ever word she said. Ever laugh that rang out from her mouth, every smile that had come to her lips. He hadn't loved her, not romantically. She was gay, after all. But she had been her first real friend. She had been his apprentice. They had known each other for so long, and had gone through so much together. If anything, she was like family to him. The sister he never had. Then she had left, like everyone else. She had gone away like everyone did at some point.

He couldn't breathe. His chest was tight and he was fighting hard to push down the tears in his eyes.  _Ow, ow, ow- make it stop make it stop make it sto-_

"Come and get a nice and mighty steed for only one hundred and fifty coin! The last one for this season folks! Don't kick yourself for missing it!"

Rythian lifted his head and he saw one woman standing beside a horse. The horse was gray with large white dots brushed along it's flanks, and as they moved down it's sides they became smaller and began to fade until they just stopped. Their hair was a midnight black but it was dull, and Rythian could see the horse's ribs. Their eyes were sunken in and looked dull. The owner obviously didn't take very good care of it. He stared at the horse, then glanced at the woman. He furrowed his eyebrows, took a deep breath, and then moved over quickly.

"How much." His voice made her jump, before she grinned. It was so fake that it made him want to barf.

"One hundred and fifty!"  
"I'll give you one hundred coins for it."

She furrowed her eyebrows at him, while he stared back calmly. A few moments passed between them, before she sighed and dropped the lead into his hand. "Fine. Hand it over. I'm sick of the stupid thing anyway." Rythian resisted rolling his eyes as he handed over the proper amount, before he lead the horse away. He didn't look back at the woman as he walked to the closest exit to the market. People moved out of the way easily, not giving them a single glance. They were too focused on their shopping or on their conversations to care. Rythian was thankful for it.

Rythian pulled his mask down as they came to the forest near the market place, by a small stream. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, so deep that he could feel his lungs aching slightly. He glanced at the horse beside him and saw that she was staring at him a bit blandly. He patted her nose gently, before he reached into one of the bags he had and pulled out an apple. He held it up to her and she sniffed it. She looked at him cautiously, before her hunger got the best of her and she took a bite. A moment later the apple was gone from his hand as she chewed on it quickly. He smiled slightly and patted her nose again. "Poor girl." He muttered to himself, before he untied the rope that was around her neck. For some reason, he knew she wouldn't try to run off. She went over to the stream and began to drink from it hungrily. Rythian sat on the ground and rummaged through his bags, organizing them the best he could. He did that until his hands stopped shaking and his heart had calmed down in his chest. He looked at the horse, who was now eating some grass that was poking out from underneath the snow. He smiled slightly, watching her closely. Would she be able to hold his weight? He didn't weight too much...

He stood over and walked over to her. She lifted her head and swallowed the bite of grass she was chewing, watching him closely. He patted her on the side of her neck, smiling slightly. "Hey, girl... I wonder what your name is. She didn't tell me one." He muttered to himself. The horse, of course, didn't respond. Rythian shrugged. "I'll come up with one later." He said, before he grabbed the rope and tied it around the bags to make them easier to carry. He looked at her. "Alright, you aren't gonna buck me off, right?" She snorted in reply, and Rythian laughed. "Can't tell if that's a yes or a no." He said. He walked to her side and then pulled himself up onto her back. There wasn't a saddle, but he didn't mind. He hesitated, looking for any discomfort in his new steed, but she didn't seem to mind him. He placed the bags on his lap, then nudged the back of his foot against her side. Immediately, she began to trot forward. He grinned. "Alright, there we go... Good girl." He patted her on her neck and glanced up at the sky. The sun was right above him, in the middle of the sky. It was probably around noon now. If they didn't take many breaks, he could make it home an hour or so after dark. Maybe. As long as it didn't start snowing...

  
Seto couldn't lie; it was rather unnerving being in such a large building without anyone else with him. He didn't know how Rythian did it before he came along. He didn't do much while the sorcerer was gone through. He read some books, made himself something small to eat every now and then when he was particularly bored, and sometimes just wandered through the mini castle. He saw a few rooms that looked like they hadn't been used in a long time, and a bedroom that hadn't been used in even longer. Even though he was curious though, he didn't look too much into it. He didn't want to be nosy. He'd probably ask Rythian about it later though, because this place looked like it used to house a lot more than just one person. Perhaps that team of his, the Yogscast?, used to live here with him? He hadn't mentioned it when he was telling him about them, but he supposed that it wasn't  _impossible._

On the second day, as the sun began to set, it began to snow. It didn't start out too bad, just a small flutter here or there. Seto watched the little flakes fall through the window in the kitchen. He had gotten concentrated on cooking something simple, since he was running low on things to make, when he heard the wind whistling loudly. When he looked out the window, he could hardly see anything but snow. His eyes widened in shock, before he heard a loud bang across from the castle. The hair on the back of his neck stood up at the sound as he turned and looked towards it, before he quickly ran out of the room and down the hallway.  _Probably just the wind opening the back door!_ He told himself.  _I probably didn't latch it properly when I went out to boil some snow for water..._ He ran around the corner and stopped.

A figure stood there, their back to Seto as they were pushing the door closed. They struggled to do so against the strong wind howling outside. Seto couldn't see much about them, as they weren't in the torchlight. He squinted and saw that they were taller than him and a bit bigger. His eyes brightened before he grinned, just as they were able to close and latch the door.

"Rythian?" He asked, excitedly. He didn't understand why his friend hadn't just come through the front door, but perhaps he had to take a detour because of the weather! He didn't notice the figure stiffen at his voice. "Oh, I'm so glad you're home! It's so lonely here without someone!" He laughed. "How was your shopping? Were you able to get everything I asked for? I know you didn't really understand some of the names, but-!" The figure turned and stepped towards Seto, right into the torchlight. Seto froze and he felt everything inside of him halt from shock.

That... That wasn't Rythian...

  
Rythian could  _not_ believe his luck. He kept his head bowed against the sharp, cold wind as his horse fought through the snow. She was a strong girl, despite her background. Perhaps she was afraid of letting her new owner down. He had been a little worried when it began to snow, but it was so calm and slow that he hadn't thought to stop and set up camp. He deeply regretted that now. But they had started and they couldn't stop, there was no way he'd be able to set up a camp in here. He gritted his teeth and continued to press on. kicking himself for his idiocy and foolishness. He wrapped his scarf around himself tighter, trying to keep any part of him as warm as he could. He glanced up as he saw a flicker of light, and he almost laughed as he saw his home. They had made it. They just had to keep going, and survive the rest of the way.

What usually took him three minutes took him at least  _ten._ The clearing between him and his home was much more harder to get through with at least six feet worth of snow and wind that he swore was starting to push them back inch by inch. Somehow, by the grace of god or just by sheer will of his horse, they made it. He felt shelter from the snow and he looked up to see that they were underneath the roof above the front door, and he sighed loudly in relief. He slid off his horse, stumbling slightly as he landed in knee deep snow. He almost dropped his bags and held onto them clumsily. He flexed his numb fingers, before he practically drug himself to the front door. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted, muttering a spell that unlocked the door and allowed him to push it open. He gripped the doorknob as he pulled himself in to keep the door from slamming against the wall beside it. He dropped the bags on the floor beside the door, before he stepped back outside and led his horse over to the doorway. Any other day, he would've taken her to the pen where he used to hold his and... Zoey's horses. But he wasn't going to let her stand in this weather, not after the surely impossible feat she had accomplished for him.

He carefully closed the door behind them, patting the side of her neck as he walked up to her side. He sighed as he pulled off his jacket, which was soaking wet from the already melting snow. He hung it up on the coat rack and looked at his horse, brushing the snow from her black mane. She looked at him and whinnied softly, and he smiled slightly.

"Good girl." He said, before he grabbed the bag full of apples and opened them, placing it front of her. Instantly, she began to eat. He didn't even care. She deserved all the apples in the world, in his opinion. He would save a few seeds and see if he could plant some trees, or just go back to the marketplace to buy some more. Though, he doubted he'd be going to the marketplace during the rest of this damned winter.

He looked around the room. He wondered if Seto was sleeping.

That's when he heard a loud, terrified scream. His eyes widened and he turned towards the way it had come from. His horse lifted her head as her ears perked up in surprise. Before Rythian could even think of how exhausted he was, he sprinted out of the room towards the scream.

_"SETO?!"_

 


End file.
